Media Release: Spring Cleaning child safety alert

WITH the spring cleaning season well under way, bitter safety additive manufacturer Bitrex has joined forces with the Child Accident Prevention Trust to remind parents of the risk to children from household cleaning products.

Says a spokesperson: “Evidence from hospitals suggests a springtime upsurge in admissions related to accidental swallowing of household cleaners.

“Over the past three years, one of Britain’s busiest A & E departments at Birmingham Children’s Hospital found that 39 per cent of all cleaning product related incidents took place during April and May.

“Experts believe that the spring cleaning season, when cleaners are more likely to be actively in use and not safely locked away in cupboards, is a period of maximum danger.”

Dr Ben Stanhope, consultant in Paediatric Emergency Medicine, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, said: “At this time of the year we see a noticeable rise in the number of admissions related to accidental swallowing of household cleaners.

“Luckily, in most cases, the swift response of parents means that the consequences are not fatal. But the outcomes are still serious and cause great distress to the child and to their parents.

“It’s at times of maximum distraction when you’re concentrating on the job in hand that accidents happen. It only takes a second for a child to swallow a potentially deadly amount of dangerous product.”

Parents are being urged to take extra care, and make sure cleaning products are kept out of reach during the big spring clean, even when in use, or to look for products that contain a bittering agent like Bitrex, for added peace of mind.

“Even the most careful parent can become distracted when focussing on tricky household cleaning tasks and that is exactly the moment when an inquisitive child can get hold of a interesting looking bottle.

“Many products are designed to look and smell attractive and that often makes them very intriguing for a toddler.

“Parents can’t have eyes in the back of their head. Take extra care – put any bottles back in a secure cupboard or out of reach, replace the child resistant cap and try to buy products that contain a bittering agent which will make it almost impossible for a child to drink it accidentally.”

Cameron Smith, Bitrex business manager, added: “We are long-term supporters of the Child Accident Prevention Trust and are very happy to join them in drawing attention to the hazards children face from household cleaners, particularly at this time of the year.

“We regard bittering agents as very much the last line of defence. Bitrex is no substitute for careful, secure storage, but it does mean that a moment’s inattention won’t end in a tragedy.”

The risks of a second’s distraction were brought home to Clare Smith of Ivybridge, Devon.

Her toddler managed to work out how to open the safety catch on the cleaning cupboard,

“With the best will in the world no parent can keep their eye on inquisitive toddlers all the time.

“Any parent who says they don’t let them out of sight for a second is lying!

“Even with a safety catch on the cleaning cupboard my toddler managed to get hold of a full bottle of cleaning product.

“If it hadn’t contained Bitrex, he’d have happily drained the lot. I don’t want to think of what might have been the result of that.”

ENDS

Contact: Ali O’Neale Cloudline PR 0131 553 8660/07889016094

Notes for Editors:

Bitrex

Denatonium Benzoate was discovered in 1958 by Macfarlan Smith and registered under the Bitrex trademark in the United Kingdom, Canada and the USA later the same year.

First used in denaturing alcohol – making it legally unfit for consumption – it is now added to a wide range of household cleaners, pesticides, and DIY and automotive products.

Since being approved in the UK and US in the early 1960s, Bitrex has been officially recognised as the denaturant of choice in more than 40 countries.

UK sales began in 1960, and by 1963, customers included I.C.I, Rentokil and Avon Products. The first use of Bitrex simply as a taste aversive was in a cream to prevent tail-biting in pigs.

Bitrex® has been used in a variety of applications since. One of the main uses is as a human aversive.

Due to its overwhelming bitter taste, it is ideal for helping prevent accidental poisonings.

Many supermarkets in the UK and Europe use the Bitrex® logo on their products as a selling point to their customers.

www.bitrex.com

Child Accident Prevention Trust:

The Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) is a leading charity working to reduce the number of children and young people killed, disabled or seriously injured in accidents. It wants to see children leading active, healthy lives – not ‘wrapped in cotton wool’. It is the national organiser of Child Safety Week.

For more information visit www.capt.org.uk/aboutus

The Child Accident Prevention Trust is a leading charity working to reduce the number of children killed, disabled or seriously injured by accidents, without ‘wrapping them in cotton wool’. Its re-vamped website, www.capt.org.uk, features easy-to-follow safety advice for both professionals and parents, plus quizzes and puzzles to help both children and parents learn more about safety.